Scaffold stirrup



March 28, 1961 B. s. KULESA SCAFFOLD. sTIRRuP Filed April 9, 195a 1N VENTOR.

BERNARD S. KULESA SCAFFOLD STIRRUP Bernard S. Kulesa, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Lev-L-It Stirrup Company, Inc., Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 9, 1958, Ser. No. 727,470

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-324) This invention relates to a stirrup for supporting a scaffold for use by painters and other construction and maintaince workers.

The conventional scaffold stirrup comprises a generally triangular-shaped steel member. The planks forming the platform, on which the worker stands, are supported by a pair of such stirrups, one adjacent each end of the scaffold. The stirrups are supported at their apices by the hooks of the suspending pulleys. Usually a looped steel member is welded to one leg of each stirrup. These carry a single plank that-forms the back of the scaffold, to protect the worker from falling off the scaffold.

A major disadvantage of the conventional scaffold stirrup is that it is free to slide on the hook by which it is supported. Therefore, when the scaffold is being moved up or down, and it encounters a cornice or other projecting part, the scaffold tilts with reference to the horizontal, and may spill the paint and the painter.

One object of the present invention is to provide a scaffold stirrup that can be locked to hold the scaffold against tilting, or with the scaffold in a selected position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a scaffold stirrup that will be safe touse and that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a scaffold stirrup that will hold a scaffold in a horizontal position despite the fact that the ropes or cables by which it is suspended are forced out of plumb by projecting portions of the structure from which the scaffold is supported.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a scaffold stirrup constructed according to one embodiment of this invention, and showing in dotted lines the platform that is supported on a pair of these stirrups, the plank, that forms the back of the scaffold, being also shown in dotted lines, and supported from a looped steel member that is secured to the stirrup;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of this stirrup, showing the stirrup lock disengaged; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the stirrup lock engaged.

Referring now to the drawing, denotes a loop of rope on which a pulley 11 is mounted, to support the scaffold from the upper portion of a structure. A hook 12 is suspended in the conventional manner from the pulley 11. A metallic hitch 14 is engaged on the book 12, and a yoke 15 is supported on the hitch 14.

The yoke 15 is formed from a metal strap that is bent into general U-shape and that has its ends detachably ice portion 20, and a toothed segment 21 is secured externally on this curved apex portion. A loop or link 22 is mounted about the yoke '15, and is free to slide up and down on the yoke. This link 22 is engageable between the teeth of the segment 21, to lock the stirrup 17 against movement relative to the yoke 15.

A platform 24, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, can be supported at one end on the bar 25 of the stirrup 17, and on its other end, on the bar of a second stirrup. A looped steel member 26 is welded or otherwise secured to the stirrup 17 in the ordinary manner, and a plank 27, shown in dotted lines in'Fig. 1, can be supported at one end in the loop of the member 26, and in its other end, by a second loop member (not shown) on the second stirrup, to provide a back for the scaffold.

When the worker using the scaffold comes to a cornice or other projection on a building, he lifts the-link 22 of each stirrup out of engagement with the respective segments 21 of the stirrups, and adjusts each stirrup angularly in their pulleys 16, so that the floor of the platform 24 will still be horizontal. The links 22 then are engaged with the teeth of their respective segments 21, to lock the stirrups in the desired positions.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention What I claim is:

l. A scafiold supporting member adapted to be used in pairs, one adjacent each end of a scaffold, for supporting said scaffold, said supporting member comprising a generally triangular-shaped stirrup, the base of which is adapted to receive and support the platform. of said scaffold, support means for said stirrup slidably engaging said stirrup at the underside of its apex portion and projecting upwardly above said apex portion, and locking means to hold said stirrup at different angular positions relative to said support means comprising a toothed segment secured to said stirrup on the upper side of said apex portion, and a loop-shaped locking member slidably mounted on the upwardly projecting portion of said support means detachably to engage in spaced tooth spaces of said segment to hold said stirrup in different angular positions, said locking member being movable to and being held in locking position by gravity.

2. A scaffold supporting member adapted to be used in pairs, one adjacent each end of a scafiold, for supporting said scaffold, said supporting member comprising a generally triangular-shaped stirrup having a curved apex portion, a yoke, said yoke projecting upwardly above said apex portion for engagement with a scaffold supporting means, a pulley rotatably mounted on said yoke and positioned to engage the underside of said curved apex portion to support the stirrup, a toothed segment secured on the upper side of said apex portion, and a locking loop slidably mounted on the upwardly projecting portion of said yoke and positioned to engage spaced tooth spaces of said toothed segment to hold said stirrup in different angular positions on said yoke.

3. A scaffold supporting member adapted to be used in pairs, one adjacent each end of a scaffold, for supporting said scaffold, said supporting member comprising a generally triangular-shaped stirrup having a curved apex portion, a bifurcated yoke, a pulley rotatably mounted between the furcations of said yoke and engaging the underside of said curved apex portion to support said stirrup, a toothed segment secured to the upper side of said apex portion, said yoke extending upwardly above said apex portion, a toothed segment secured to the upper side of said apex portion between the upwardly extending furcations of said yoke, and a locking loop slidably mounted on the upwardly extending portion of said yoke to engage in spaced tooth spaces ofsaid toothed segment at opposite lateral sides of said yoke to hold said stirrup in difierent angular positions relative to said yoke, said loop being movable to and being held in engagement with the tooth spaces of said toothed segment by gravity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Heike June 21, Kitsteiner et a1. July 26, Nellis Feb. 17, Dilthey Mar. 6, McMillin Oct. 24, Murray Jan. 5, Streeter Dec. 4, Blackwell Mar. 1, Kornely May 20, Haugh et a1. July 22, 

